Improvement in machines for bending plow-handles



UNITED STATES PATEN'I EEICE.

IMPROVEMENT IN MACHINES FOR BENPING PLOW-HANDLES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 92,604. dated July 131869.

To 'all wiz/0m it' may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE V. GRIFFITH, of Fort Vayne, in the county of Allen and State of Indiana, have invented certain. new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Bending Plow-Handles, and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description of thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, in which like letters refer to like parts in the di'erent figures.

' To enable others skilled in the arts to make and use my invention, I will proceed to de-v scribe its construction and operation.

Figure l represents aplan view. Fig. 2 represents a side View.

The nature of my invention consist-s in the arrangement and combination of artraversing roller which is suspended in suitable bearings to a bifurcated radial lever by means of oscillating arms, said lever, arms, and roller acting in combination with two curvilinear forms, said forms having in their faces a concave groove for the purpose of receiving and supporting the material to be bent.

A A represent two curvilinear forms, which are placed side by side with their faces up', leavingbetween them a slight space, a, as seen in the drawing Fig. l. The faces of these forms are provided with a half-round groove, b, which extends the whole length of the face. This groove is intended for the reception of the handle while in the operation of being bent, said handle being previously so cut or formed as to fit snugly into said groove.

B represents a bif'urcated lever, which is pivoted on suitable bearings, c, at the center of forms A Aone fork on the outside of each form, as seen in Fig. l. Said forks of said lever extend thence parallel and outward to a suitable distance, where another pivot, d, in the form of a rod, is introduced, which extends across the intervening space and connects the forks. Above this pointv the forks converge to the center, and unite and form a handle, by which it is operated.

To bearing d are suspended two oscillating arms, These arms are pivoted one on the inside of each fork, and between them. Arms fare provided with a boss, 7i, at their lower ends, which forms bearing for the support of roller g. These bosses are so positioned that they prevent said roller from passing between the forks of the lever. Said forks are so bent at the point of contact with said bosses, while in operation, that the centers of said bosses are in a straight line with the center of pivots c and d, as will be readily understood.

.The operation of my invention is as follows: The lever B is thrown back to the position seen in Fig. 2. The oscillating arms f and roller g are elevated to the position seen in dotted lines. Then the upper end ofthe handle, which as been previously prepared as delines, Fig. 2, and the roller g is carried to the the handle. Then an upward movement is imparted to the lever, which presses the roller in firm contact with the handle, land causes it to yield or bend into the form when the roller has traversed over the handle. Then said handle is secured by means of any suitable device in this bent form, after which the lever is carried back to the place where itA started from, and the roller is again elevated, as before, and the handles are removed. It will be observed that while. the lever is being carried forward to effect the bending the bosses on the lower ends of the oscillating arms rest against the forks of the .vibrating radial lever in a manner that fixes the roller in astationary position in relation to said lever, but at the instant that the bending is completed and `the lever is reversed, then the roller vis at liberty, and the pressureis relieved entirely and may be easily thrown up out ofthe way. This arrangement is simple, convenient, and effective.

There is another feature presented in this apparatus that is of importance in bending plow-handles--that is, the combination of the roller in its operation with the concave grooves in the face of the forms. The handles are first cut in the form seen in the diagram marked Fig. 3 in the drawings, and the under side is so rounded that it will fit exactly into said groove, while the upper surface is left flat. Now, it will be readily understood that in the process of bending, the upper or outside surface cannot expand or stretch inth e least; hence the inside surface, as well as the whole under portion of the wood, must be upset or shortened up. This process of shortening up nec essarily enlarges that portion' of thehandl e, and the tendency is to spread it sidewise and open scribed, is inserted in the position seen in redv position seen in full lines, where it rests against short cracks in the under surface, and leave the grains of the wood in a kinked or buckled condition, unless there is. some support to hold it firmly in place. These grooves do that, when used with the roller, inost effectually, as will be readily understood.

Vhen the operation of bending is conimenced, the roller presses that portion of the wood that is being acted upon and forces it firmly into the groove, while that part beyond the roller is straight, and is not in the least affected, and that portion of the handle that has been bent is iinmovably secured in position, and cannot be in the least affected by the forward progress of the roller, so that when the roller has traversed over the forms the handle has been bent or acted upon atevery successive stage independently; hence there is no chance for buckling, the sides of the groove fully supporting the handle and preventing opening or cracking. rlhis is adesideratunl ofthe utmost importance in making a smooth, well- Iinished handle of an even, uniform curve.

I am aware that forms have been used hav ing a similar groove, but in all cases, as far as I am acquainted, the upper end of the handle is secured in a clamp, andthe operator simply takes hold of the lower end of the handle and springs it down over the forni. In so doing the handle is sure to kink and buckle at various points, always at the weakest place in the handle; hence it is impossible to obtain uniform, smooth handles, as no two will be alike, while handles bent by my apparatus are exactly, in every respect, of the same forni, and are smooth, which is an advantage of the ut niost importance.

Vhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination of thelever B with the pressure-roller g by means of the radial arms f, pivoted in the lever B, and with the formers A, all constructed and arranged to operate sul)` stantially in the manner described.

GEO. V. GRIFFITH.

Attest:

H. F. XVILLsoN,

FRED. T. ZOLL-ins. 

